Vehicle control device

ABSTRACT

A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle includes a power storage device, a drive device configured to be driven by electric power from the power storage device, a system main relay attached to a power line between the power storage device and the drive device, and a charge circuit connected to a side of the drive device through the system main relay of the power line, in which the vehicle control device is configured to turn off the system main relay and prohibit reactivation of the system in a power shortage of the power storage device. The vehicle control device is configured to permit the system main relay to be turned on in a case where charging of the power storage device using the charge circuit is requested.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-220977 filed on Dec. 6, 2019, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a vehicle control device.

2. Description of Related Art

In the related art, as such a kind of a vehicle control device, a control device that allows a system main relay attached to a power line between a storage battery and an inverter for driving a motor to be turned off in a power shortage of the storage battery has been proposed (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-158174 (JP 2013-158174 A)). Further, the control device determines whether the state is immediately before the power shortage, and in a case where the determination is made that the state is immediately before the power shortage, the control device controls a motor such that a vehicle speed is limited to equal to or lower than a vehicle speed interceptable the system main relay.

SUMMARY

However, in the device that turns off the system main relay in a power shortage as the vehicle control device described above, the storage battery cannot be charged by a charger in a state where the system main relay is turned off. In a case where the storage battery cannot be charged, the system cannot be reactivated.

The main object of a vehicle control device of an aspect of the disclosure is to charge a power storage device in a power shortage.

The vehicle control device of an aspect of the disclosure employs the following means to achieve the main object described above.

A first aspect of the disclosure relates to a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, the device including a power storage device, a drive device, a system main relay, and a charge circuit. The drive device is configured to be driven by electric power from the power storage device. The system main relay is attached to a power line between the power storage device and the drive device. The charge circuit is connected to the power line on a side of the drive device from the system main relay and is configured to charge the power storage device using electric power from an external power source. The vehicle control device is configured to turn off the system main relay and prohibit reactivation of the system in a power shortage of the power storage device, and to permit the system main relay to be turned on in a case where charging of the power storage device using the charge circuit is requested.

In the vehicle control device according to the first aspect, the system main relay is turned off and the system reactivation is prohibited in a power shortage of the power storage device. The vehicle control device permits the system main relay to be turned on in a case where charging of the power storage device using the charge circuit is requested. The system main relay can be turned on, and the power storage device can be charged using the charge circuit. That is, the power storage device can be charged in a power shortage.

Whether the state is in a power shortage can be determined in a case where a power storage ratio of the power storage device is equal to or lower than a predetermined ratio (for example, 15%, 20%, or 25%), or in addition to the case, in a case where an output limit of the power storage device is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value as not suitable to travel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of a configuration of an electric vehicle 20 mounted with a vehicle control device 70 as an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a charging process in a power shortage executed by the vehicle control device 70.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment for implementing the disclosure will be described.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of a configuration of an electric vehicle 20 mounted with a vehicle control device 70 as an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment includes, as shown in FIG. 1, a motor 32, an inverter 34, a battery 36, a power line 42, a system main relay 38, a charging power line 50, a vehicle-side inlet 54, and the vehicle control device 70.

The motor 32 is configured as a synchronous generator motor, and includes a rotor embedded with a permanent magnet and a stator around which a three-phase coil is wound. The rotor of the motor 32 is connected to a drive shaft 26 coupled to drive wheels 22 a, 22 b via a differential gear 24.

The inverter 34 is connected to the motor 32 and is connected to the power line 42. The inverter 34 is configured as a well-known inverter circuit including six transistors and six diodes.

The battery 36 is configured as, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-hydrogen secondary battery, and is connected to the power line 42 via the system main relay 38. A capacitor 44 is connected to a positive electrode bus and a negative electrode bus of the power line 42.

The system main relay 38 includes a positive electrode side relay SMRB that is provided in the positive electrode bus of the power line 42, a negative electrode side relay SMRG that is provided in the negative electrode bus of the power line 42, and a precharge circuit in which a precharging resistor R and a precharging relay SMRP are connected in series so as to bypass the negative electrode side relay SMRG.

The charging power line 50 has a first end that is connected to the power line 42 on the inverter 34 side (the motor 32 side) from the system main relay 38, and a second end that is connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54. A charging relay 52 is attached to the charging power line 50. The charging relay 52 includes a positive electrode side relay DCRB that is provided in a positive electrode side line of the charging power line 50 and a negative electrode side relay DCRG that is provided in a negative electrode side line of the charging power line 50. The charging power line 50 is connected to an external charging power line from an external direct current power supply (not shown) by connecting an external connector of the external direct current power supply to the vehicle-side inlet 54, and electric power from an external commercial power source is converted to direct current power by the external direct current power supply and is supplied from the external charging power line 150. The vehicle-side inlet 54 is provided with a connection switch 56 that determines whether the external connector is connected.

The vehicle control device 70 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU 72, and includes a ROM 74 that stores processing programs or a RAM 76 that temporarily stores data, a SRAM 78 that temporarily holds data, an input/output port (not shown), and a communication port (not shown), in addition to the CPU 72.

The vehicle control device 70 receives signals from various sensors are input to via the input port. Examples of signals input to the vehicle control device 70 include a rotational position Om from a rotational position detection sensor (for example, a resolver) 32 a that detects the rotational position of the rotor of the motor 32, a voltage VB from a voltage sensor 36 a attached between terminals of the battery 36, and a current IB from a current sensor 36 b attached to an output terminal of the battery 36. A voltage VH of the capacitor 44 (the power line 42) from a voltage sensor 44 a attached between terminals of the capacitors 44 can also be exemplified. A charging voltage Vchg from a voltage sensor 50 a attached to the charging power line 50 or connection signals from the connection switch 56 provided in the vehicle-side inlet 54 is also input. Since the vehicle control device 70 also functions as a driving control device of the vehicle, information needed to control traveling is also input. Examples of the information items includes, for example, although not shown, an ignition signal from an ignition switch, a shift position from a shift position sensor that detects an operation position of a shift lever, an accelerator operation amount from an accelerator pedal position sensor that detects a stepping amount of an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal position from a brake pedal position sensor that detects a stepping amount of a brake pedal, and a vehicle speed from a vehicle speed sensor.

The vehicle control device 70 outputs various control signals via the output port. Examples of the signals output from the vehicle control device 70 include, for example, a switching control signal to the transistor of the inverter 34, a driving control signal to the system main relay 38, or a driving control signal to the charging relay 52.

Operations of the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment configured as above, in particular, operations at the time of charging by electric power from the external direct current power supply in a power shortage of the battery 36 will be described below. In a case where the battery 36 is determined to be in a power shortage, the vehicle control device 70 of the embodiment turns off (intercepts) the system main relay 38, stores that the battery 36 is in the power shortage state in a predetermined area of the SRAM 78, and prohibits the system reactivation. Whether the state is in a power shortage can be determined in a case where a power storage ratio SOC of the battery 36 is equal to or lower than a predetermined ratio (for example, 15%, 20%, or 25%), or in addition to the case, in a case where an output limit Wout as a maximum allowable power that may be output from the battery 36 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 4 kW or 3 kW) as not suitable to travel. In a case where a charge request is performed in the power shortage state, the vehicle control device 70 of the embodiment executes a charging process in a power shortage shown in FIG. 2. The charge request is performed in a case where the connection switch 56 detects that the external connector is connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54.

When the charging process in a power shortage is executed, the CPU 72 of the vehicle control device 70 determines whether system reactivation is prohibited due to a power shortage (step S100). The determination can be made based on whether the power shortage state of the battery 36 is stored in a predetermined area of the SRAM 78. That is, the CPU 72 determines that the system reactivation is prohibited due to a power shortage in a case where the power shortage state of the battery 36 is stored in a predetermined area of the SRAM 78, and determines that the system reactivation is not prohibited due to a power shortage in a case where the power shortage state of the battery 36 is not stored in a predetermined area of the SRAM 78. In a case where the determination is made that the system reactivation is not prohibited due to a power shortage, the process ends. Since system reactivation is not prohibited, the release of the prohibition of the system reactivation is not needed.

In a case where the determination is made that the system reactivation is prohibited due to a power shortage in step S100, the CPU 72 determines whether the battery is in a charge mode due to direct current power (a DC charge mode) (step S110). The determination can be made based on the signal from the connection switch 56 that detects whether the external connector is connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54. In a case where the determination is made that the battery is not in the DC charge mode, the system reactivation is continuously prohibited (step S120), and the process ends.

In a case where the determination is made that the battery is in the DC charge mode in step S110, the CPU 72 permits (connecting permission) the system main relay 38 to be turned on (step S130), and the routine ends. Therefore, the system main relay 38 is turned on, and the battery 36 can be charged by using electric power from the external direct current power supply. Even when the system main relay 38 is permitted to be turned on, in a case where the determination is made that the battery 36 cannot be charged, the system main relay 38 is not turned on. Examples of the case where the battery 36 is determined to cannot be charged include a case where the battery 36 has an abnormality, a case where the circuit or the sensor has an abnormality, a case where an external charging station has an abnormality and the expected signals cannot be received, or a case where the external charging station is out of standard. Checking of an abnormality of the battery 36, an abnormality of the circuit or the sensor, or an abnormality of the charging station is preferably executed every time the external connector is connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54. In a case where the abnormalities are recognized by the vehicle control side, charging of the battery 36 may be prohibited without turning on the system main relay 38. In this case, unneeded discharge from the battery 36 can be suppressed.

The vehicle control device 70 of the embodiment described above permits (connecting permission) the system main relay 38 to be turned on in a case where charging by direct current power from the external direct current power supply is requested in a power shortage of the battery 36. Therefore, the system main relay 38 is turned on, and the battery 36 can be charged by using electric power from the external direct current power supply. Since the system reactivation is prohibited in a case where the battery 36 is in the power shortage state, the system reactivation is suppressed in the power shortage state.

In the embodiment, the electric vehicle 20 includes the charging power line 50 or the charging relay 52, and the vehicle-side inlet 54 that are for DC charging, but may additionally include a power line or a charging relay, and an inlet that are for AC charging (charging by alternating current power). In this case, the power line for AC charging may be connected to the power line 42 on the battery 36 side from the system main relay 38 or on the inverter 34 side from the system main relay 38. In a case where the power line for AC charging is connected to the power line 42 on the inverter 34 side from the system main relay 38, the charging process in a power shortage shown in FIG. 2 need only be executed similar to the embodiment by changing “DC charge mode?” of step S110 to “AC charge mode?”. In this case, the power line or charging relay, the charger, and the inlet that are for AC charging (charging by alternating current power) correspond to the “charge circuit”.

The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the disclosure described in the Summary section will be described. In the embodiment, the battery 36 corresponds to the “power storage device”, the inverter 34 and the motor 32 correspond to the “drive device”, the power line 42 corresponds to the “power line”, the system main relay 38 corresponds to the “the system main relay”, the charging power line 50 or the charging relay 52, and the vehicle-side inlet 54 correspond to the “charge circuit”, and the vehicle control device 70 corresponds to the “vehicle control device”.

The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the disclosure described in the Summary section is not construed to limit elements of the disclosure described in the Summary section, since the embodiment is an example to specifically describe the mode for carrying out the disclosure described in the Summary section. That is, the interpretation of the disclosure described in the Summary section should be made based on the description of the section, and the embodiment is only the specific example of the disclosure described in the Summary section.

As described above, the aspect of implementing the disclosure has been described using the embodiment. However, the disclosure is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

The present disclosure can be used in the manufacturing industry of the vehicle control device. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, the device comprising: a power storage device; a drive device configured to be driven by electric power from the power storage device; a system main relay attached to a power line between the power storage device and the drive device; and a charge circuit connected to the power line on a side of the drive device from the system main relay and configured to charge the power storage device using electric power from an external power source, wherein the vehicle control device is configured to turn off the system main relay and prohibit reactivation of the system in a power shortage of the power storage device, and to permit the system main relay to be turned on in a case where charging of the power storage device using the charge circuit is requested. 